Music

07 Nov 2022

Drake Postpones Show at The Apollo to Mourn Takeoff, Adds Second Date

Drake announced Monday (Nov. 7) that he’s pushing back his planned show at The Apollo to mourn the death of Takeoff.

“The Apollo show has been moved to allow us to pay respect to our dear friend this weekend,” the superstar wrote on his Instagram Stories beneath an updated poster announcing the new dates of Dec. 6 and 7. “We have added a second date for the fans.”

Sponsored by SiriusXM, the concert at the historic Harlem venue was originally meant to take place this Friday as a one-night-only event.

Last week, Drake memorialized the late Migos rapper — who was gunned down at a Houston bowling alley in the early morning hours of Nov. 1 — during the album release party for Her Loss, his new collaborative LP with 21 Savage.

“I’d just like to send our deepest condolences from the family to the entire QC, to our brother Quavo, to our brother Offset, to the friends and loved ones of the legendary, unprecedented Takeoff — a guy that I knew for a long, long time,” he said, adding, “I always talk about the fact that this was one family. My friends in the music industry are not friends, they’re family. So, our deepest condolences — tragic loss for all of us and, you know, a dark cloud over this business that we love so much.”

However, Drake’s new studio set also arrived with its own share of drama, with the rapper making digs at both Megan Thee Stallion and Serena Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian in his lyrics.

Check out Drake’s new dates at The Apollo here.

07 Nov 2022

ITZY Announces Comeback With New Mini Album ‘Cheshire’

Get ready, MIDZY! ITZY announced plans for a comeback on Monday (Nov. 7), tweeting that a new album is on the way this month.

“ITZY ,” the K-pop group captioned a photo of the album’s logo in a flashy, silver print against a plain black backdrop, revealing a Nov. 30 release date. “2022.11.30 WED 6PM (KST) | 4AM (EST).”

ITZY has been on a hot streak in 2022. The girl group, which consists of members Yeji, Lia, Ryujin, Chaeryeong and Yuna, released their previous mini album Checkmate in July. The set debuted at No. 8 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart. Elsewhere on the charts, Checkmate peaked at No. 2 on both Top Current Album Sales and Top Album Sales. The project’s lead single, “Sneakers,” peaked at No. 9 on the Hot Trending Songs chart Powered by Twitter and topped the South Korea Songs chart.

ITZY is currently on its Checkmate World Tour. The trek began in August with a pair of dates in Seoul, South Korea, before heading over to the United States in October. The North American leg of the tour kicked off Oct. 26 in Los Angeles and featured stops in Atlanta, Dallas, Phoenix and more. The leg will conclude Nov. 13 in New York before heading back to Asia for stops in Manila, Singapore, Jakarta and Bangkok.

See ITZY’s album announcement for Cheshire below.

07 Nov 2022

Taylor Swift Teams Up With Bleachers for New Version of ‘Anti-Hero’

Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff took their history of musical collaboration to a new level on Monday (Nov. 7) when they unveiled a new version of the Midnights track “Anti-Hero,” featuring Antonoff’s solo project Bleachers.

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In the new version, Antonoff takes over the second verse, changing the viral “sexy baby” lyric to “art bro.” He sings, “Sometimes I feel like everybody is an art bro lately / And I just judge them on the hill / To hard to hang out talking s— about your famous baby / Pierce through the heart of 90s guilt.”

A sweet moment in the pre-chorus finds Swift singing, “Did you hear my covert narcissism I disguise as altruism / Like some kind of congressman,” before Antonoff assures her, “Taylor, you’ll be fine.”

In a post shared to Instagram announcing the new collaboration, Swift captioned a photo of the Grammy winning duo, “Jack’s version of ‘sexy baby’ is ‘art bro’ and we sincerely hope it confuses just as many people.”

Antonoff is credited with co-writing 11 of the 13 songs on the traditional version of Swift’s freshly released 10th studio album, Midnights, including the original version of “Anti-Hero.” In an Instagram post, Swift elaborated on the duo working on the project. “We’d been toying with ideas and had written a few things we loved, but Midnights actually really coalesced and flowed out of us when our partners (both actors) did a film together in Panama,” she wrote. “Jack and I found ourselves back in New York, alone, recording every night, staying up late and exploring old memories and midnights past.”

See Swift’s “Anti-Hero (featuring Bleachers)” announcement below.

07 Nov 2022

Fat Joe Shares the Advice Lil Wayne Gave Him About Serving Time in Prison

Fat Joe stopped by Red Table Talk in an episode set to air Wednesday to reflect on his yearslong friendship with Lil Wayne.

“Lil Wayne is my brother, man,” the rapper tells hosts Jada Pinkett Smith, Adrienne Banfield-Norris and Willow Smith in the preview clip. “One of the saddest things I ever did was go visit Lil Wayne in jail. And not only that, they had him, like, chained up. They had him, like, really chained up, like, Lil Wayne! This little, like, no, no, they had him in shackles and all that. They had him like he was the killer of all, right?

“So you know, I went to see him…He lives across the street from me in Miami,” Fat Joe continued, before telling the trio about getting a phone call from Wayne as he was preparing to turn himself into jail a few years after Wayne was released. “I was like, ‘Yo, Wayne, what’s up?’ And he was like, ‘Nah, man, I’m just telling you right now, be humble.’ I said, ‘How do you do it?’ He said, ‘Just be humble, bro. Don’t go in there on somethin’. Just go in there humble. You know, if you be humble, they’ll respect you.”

Lil Wayne served eight months in Rikers Island back in 2010 on charges related to a gun found on his tour bus in 2007. In 2013, Fat Joe served his own three-month sentence in prison after pleading guilty to tax evasion.

This fall, Wayne was honored with an exhibit dedicated to his life and career at the National Museum of African American Music in Nashville, which includes a handwritten letter from his time at Rikers.

Watch Fat Joe’s Red Table Talk preview here.

07 Nov 2022

A-Trak Speaks Out Against the ‘Extremely Alarming & Hurtful’ Surge of Antisemitism

As the music industry and realms beyond denounce antisemitic statements made by Kanye West, A-Trak has entered the conversation via a Twitter thread regarding the origins and dangers of antisemitism.

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In the thread posted Sunday, the producer spoke to his own experience as a “very moderate Jew,” noting that “as someone who supports the Palestinian cause and doesn’t agree with the vast majority of Israel’s actions, it would take a lot for me to call sh– out.” He later writes of the “sorrow” of recent “antisemitic sentiments that have been regurgitated by prominent people in the Black community.”

While A-Trak (born Alain Maklovitch) does not call out West by name, he does have a significant history with the rapper. In 2004, A-Trak became West’s first tour DJ, with the pair working together for years in the early ’00s and A-Trak even introducing West to Daft Punk, the French icons West famously sampled on the Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Stronger” from his 2007 LP Graduation.

“The last few weeks have made me reflect a lot,” A-Trak writes. “I think there’s something about growing up in the relative calm of the 90s that made me turn my attention / sympathy towards the plight of other people, other minorities. Maybe I assumed people knew what Jews have gone through.

“But a lot of current events are extremely alarming and hurtful, and need to be acknowledged as such. The conspiratorial nature of antisemitism creates a climate of distrust and blame that escalates very quickly. There are patterns that can’t be ignored.

“Saying that Jews control ANYTHING — the media, finance, whatever — is antisemitism, it’s hate speech, straight up. Because it perpetuates these old conspiracies and myths and feeds distrust and hate. This can’t be downplayed.”

The statement continues: “What has compounded the pain lately is that some of these antisemitic sentiments have been regurgitated by prominent people in the Black community,” the post continues. “Speaking for myself, as a DJ who plays Hip Hop and House music — Black music, with love — this has brought a deep sorrow.

“But I wholeheartedly understand the need for some Black Americans, who were robbed of their history AND whom the education system failed, to dig into the past, to explore, to search for answers. We just need certain things to be accepted as bogus, as wrong.

“What we DON’T need — and I don’t want to get into any specific people or examples here — is for disciplinary action to be taken too far, into humiliation. That just perpetuates the distrust and America’s systemic problems.

“What I’m seeing is: Jews are hurting, re-living old trauma and getting more and more fearful. Black people are hurting, feeling chastised and dehumanized. And white supremacists are chilling, enjoying the show. That’s not ok.

“We shouldn’t even be looking at celebrities for any of this. What we should be doing is teaching each other about our histories and understanding each other. Love to my Jewish brothers & sisters, my Palestinian brothers & sisters, my Black brothers & sisters. We need to heal.”

Read the complete statement below in the thread below.

A-Trak’s reflections come as many in the music industry and beyond also speak out to denounce antisemitic hate speech in the wake of West’s racist and antisemitic actions and statements, which have since led to myriad consequences for West. At the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony this past Saturday, John Mellencamp stated: “I cannot tell you how f—ing important it is to speak out if you’re an artist against antisemitism.”

07 Nov 2022

Selena Gomez, Harry Styles & More Stars Who Have Endorsed Candidates for the 2022 Midterm Elections

Midterm elections are on Tuesday (Nov. 8), with control of both chambers of Congress on the line, as all 435 House seats and 35 of the 100 Senate seats are up for grabs. 

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With that being said, the results of this election also affect national debate on birth control, abortion, voting rights, marriage rights and more. Leading up to election day, some of today’s biggest stars have taken to social media to show their support for the candidates that they best believe will represent the country.

See below for the candidates celebrities are endorsing.

Selena Gomez

The singer took to social media on Monday morning (Nov. 7) to encourage her followers in Texas to vote for Beto O’Rourke.

“I had the pleasure of meeting @betoorourke a few years ago and was so impressed by him. For those of you in my home state of Texas, please vote for him!” the singer wrote on her Instagram Stories.

Harry Styles

During that sold-out show in Austin — which O’Rourke attended — the “As It Was” singer stood quietly in front of a microphone with his guitar. As shown on the massive screens in the Moody Center, Styles then started to gently rock the instrument back and forth. As the camera zooms in on the guitar, it focuses on a black-and-white sticker that read “Beto for Texas,” which Styles highlighted by repeatedly pointing to and drawing circles with his fingers around.

Cher

In a pair of videos, the pop icon focused in on supporting two female candidates: Governor Kathy Hochul of New York and Senator Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada.

Maren Morris

Maren Morris is helping encourage voters to get to the polls in an ad for the Democratic National Committee. Morris narrates the ad, which includes footage from the music video for her 2019 hit “Girl.”

Kacey Musgraves

During the “Butterflies” singer’s headlining set during the second weekend of Austin City Limits Music Festival this weekend, the star told the crowd at one point, “Honestly, I could use a drink. Is there any beer or anything out there?” 

O’Rourke then surprised the crowd by briefly stepping onstage to hand Musgraves a bottle of beer. Though the duo said nothing at all about the interaction, the country singer-songwriter took a swig of the beverage and said, “That really hit the spot.” O’Rourke is seen waving to the cheering crowd, before walking off the stage to enjoy the rest of the show.

The Chicks

The group took to Twitter to share a clip from their ACL Festival performance, in which Natalie Maines is seen wearing a t-shirt with Ruth Bader Ginsburg on it, passionately telling the crowd, “Do you have a mother? Do you have a daughter? Do you have a sister? Do you have a girlfriend? Vote Beto! If there is a female in your life that you care about, vote for Beto.”

07 Nov 2022

Aaron Carter: His Life in Photos

Aaron Carter, a fixture of Y2K era pop music, died on Saturday (Nov. 5) at age 34. The singer, actor and TV personality passed away at his residence in Los Angeles. He is survived by his son, Prince.

In 1998, Carter — the younger brother of Backstreet Boys singer Nick Carter — made his solo debut in America with Aaron Carter, featuring the singles “Crush on You,” Crazy Little Party Girl” and “I’m Gonna Miss You Forever.”

His follow-up album, Aaron’s Party (Come and Get It), was released in September 2000. Aaron’s Party peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and went triple platinum. It featured the singles “I Want Candy” and two Billboard Hot 100 hits, “Aaron’s Party (Come Get It)” (No. 35) and “That’s How I Beat Shaq” (No. 95). He supported the album as an opening act for Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears on the Oops!… I Did It Again Tour. His third album, Oh Aaron, went platinum in 2001, and he has released two albums since then, most recently LØVË in 2018, where he had a writing credit on every track.

Carter also appeared in TV shows such as Lizzie McGuire, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch and 7th Heaven. He made his Broadway debut in 2001 as JoJo the Who in Seussical the Musical and also enjoyed a long stint in the off-Broadway production of The Fantasticks. In a 2019 interview with Billboard, Carter talked about his drive to keep going in the music business: “I’m not going to give up. I’m not going to stop. I’m going to succeed. If something is broken, I’m going to f–king fix it.”

07 Nov 2022

‘Famous Friends,’ Ashley Gorley, Warner Chappell Music Lead ASCAP Country Music Award Winners

Performing rights organization ASCAP honored some of the most performed country songs of the past year, at the 60th annual ASCAP Country Music Awards, revealing this year’s slate of honorees across ASCAP’s social media platforms.

Ashley Gorley picked up his ninth ASCAP country music songwriter of the year honor, thanks to his range of penned songs including “Beers on Me” (Dierks Bentley/Breland/Hardy), “Country Again” (Thomas Rhett), “Give Heaven Some Hell” (Hardy), “New Truck” (Dylan Scott), “Sand in My Boots” (Morgan Wallen), “Slow Down Summer” (Thomas Rhett), “Steal My Love” (Dan + Shay), “Take My Name” (Parmalee) and “You Should Probably Leave” (Chris Stapleton).

The Chris Young and Kane Brown-recorded “Famous Friends” was named ASCAP’s country music song of the year. The song was co-written by Corey Crowder and published by Big Crowd Publishing, Georgia Song Vibez and Warner Chappell Music. In addition to several chart-topping songs, Crowder has had placements on television series including Nashville, One Tree Hill, and The Real World.

Warner Chappell Music was named ASCAP country music publisher of the year, thanks to work publishing songs including “Buy Dirt” (Luke Bryan and Jordan Davis), “Cold Beer Calling My Name” (Luke Combs and Jameson Rodgers), “Getting Over Him” (Lauren Alaina), “Lil Bit” (Florida Georgia Line and Nelly), “Never Wanted to Be That Girl” (Ashley McBryde and Carly Pearce) and “You Should Probably Leave” (Chris Stapleton).

ASCAP will honor its award-winning songwriters during an invitation-only event held at Nashville’s Soho House on Monday, Nov. 7. For a full list of this year’s celebrated songs, visit ascap.com.

07 Nov 2022

R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks of the Week: Q, SEB, Tempest & More

It’s been unusually warm in NYC in this past weekend, and it’s probably due to all the heat that’s been dropping in the R&B and hip-hop worlds. Regardless of where you’re located, this week, we’ve got 10 new songs to help you enjoy the nice weather or to help keep you warm. From the R&B rhythms of Q and Jahkoy, to boom-bap raps of Pivot Gang and Lakewude, this roundup has everything you need and more to power through the week.

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And of course, don’t forget to share the wealth with our Spotify playlist, linked below

Freshest Find: Q, “Today”

Q’s falsetto earns him this week’s Freshest Find. The Florida-raised singer’s new single “Today” has the ultimate build-up, starting slow and erupting into a funk-infused, R&B bop that’ll make anyone want to dance. Q, who is 23 years old and signed with Columbia Records back in 2020, has an old-soul vibe to his voice and artistry. “Today” is the latest addition to his musical arsenal.

Frsh Waters, “Pray n’ Repent”

Continuing their release streak leading up to the five-year anniversary of John Walt Day, Pivot Gang’s Frsh Waters released a new single called “Pray n’ Repent.” The Saba-produced track finds the Chicago rapper practicing self-forgiveness and repenting for his sins.

Huey Briss, “Warren G”

Huey Briss is no stranger to paying homage to city that made him. On “Warren G,” the Long Beach rapper salutes his fellow LB G-funk artist with the song’s title and many of its bars, rapping “All that s–t y’all talking, it be boring me/ And you know I keep it on me, act accordingly/ I gotta ball, I want it all/ I feel like Warren G.” The song appears on Briss’ new EP Wishing Out Loud.

Tempest, “Heathens”

On “Heathens,” Tempest is embracing her dark side. The alt-R&B/hyper-pop hybrid finds the Long Beach native vibrantly tapping into her villain era, as she sings about “trying to be a heathen.”

SEB, “loving u is harder”

On “loving u is harder,” SEB sings about his confusing relationship with ease. “Loving you is harder than I thought/ You got a reputation breaking hearts/ Guess I should’ve saw this from the start/ A pretty face, you such a work of art,” he laments over the alt-R&B beat. The Chicago-raised artist’s new single touches on codependency and “feeling blindsided by who someone actually is after falling in love with them,” he says in a statement.

Pivot Gang, “911”

Their second single this year, Pivot Gang is back with a new single called “911.” The Chicago collective’s chemistry is undeniable as the group’s vocalists effortlessly tag-team all over the daedaePIVOT-produced beat. The gang is releasing singles both together and individually — again, leading up to this year’s John Walt Day in Chicago on Nov. 26.

Eem Triplin feat. $not, “Let You Know”

Eem Triplin and $not team up for the new single, “Let You Know.” Produced by the former, the song marks the duo’s first collab with both artists on vocals, as they twirl gentle melodies and triplet flows over minor-key organ and finger snaps. “Let You Know” chronicles how pair’s hard-earned trust issues affect their romantic lives.

Lakewude, “Sunlight”

On “Sunlight,” Lakewude reflects on his life and rise as an artist. The Tennessee musician uses intricate wordplay to spit about how times have changed and channeling his “better side.” “N—as bug me, they said they spray like it’s pesticide/ They just wordsmith nerds, ’cause no one ever really dies/ We endorsing violence then parade because they kill our kind/ You see my contradiction?” he raps.

Jahkoy, “Bitter”

Jahkoy is, well, “Bitter.” “You ever get out of a situationship but that person still has some of your things and you lowkey want those things back so now you’re kinda bitter?? Yeah, this is that song,” the Toronto singer told Billboard about the song. The relatable new track is off his upcoming project Sex & Forgiveness.

Phony Ppl, “dialtone.”

With “dialtone.,” Phony Ppl is setting the tone for their new upcoming album. The eclectic funk track is two songs combined, explained the Brooklyn-based band. “‘dialtone.’ is actually two different songs at once! One song (the cause) is about a guy realizing space is only expanding between him and his lover. The other song (the effect) is about a relationship that only exists in the mind of said guy. Either way, there’s something wrong!,” they say in a press statement. “dialtone.” premiered on season five, episode four of Issa Rae’s Insecure. The song will also appear on their upcoming album, Euphonyus, due out Nov. 18.

07 Nov 2022

Maren Morris Stars in Democratic National Committee Ad to Encourage Voting: ‘This Is Personal’

Maren Morris is helping encourage voters to get to the polls for the Nov. 8 midterm election in a new ad for the Democratic National Committee. Morris narrates the ad, which includes footage from the music video for her 2019 hit “Girl.” That music video previously earned a CMA Awards nomination for music video of the year.

“This is personal. Your vote is your voice,” Morris says in the spot as the camera focuses on the singer-songwriter in a guitar shop, sitting with her back to the camera and playing an acoustic guitar. “It is the only thing that is standing in the way of having the right to choose, or having the choice be made for you.”

The ad ends with a message for viewers to visit iwillvote.com, a site that identifies voting and drop-off locations, helps people check their voters registration, register to vote, and learn more about casting a ballot.

Morris has long been outspoken about her social and political beliefs, endorsing Joe Biden in the run-up to the 2020 presidential election during the virtual “I Will Vote” Democratic fundraiser.

As “a proud Texan now living in Nashville, Tenn.,” Morris discussed her decision via a three-minute video later uploaded to Instagram at the time. “Coming from a Southern family with a conservative background, throughout my childhood, I was always taught to treat people with respect and dignity, no matter their race, their religion, their sexual orientation, and yes, even their political party,” she explained in 2020. “But like a lot of us, I’ve been in perpetual shock watching what’s happened to our country these last few years. We’ve been divided and pitted against one another.”

She added, “I voted early for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, and for Democrats down the ticket here in Tennessee because we need leadership that is kind, compassionate and that cares,” she continued. “Leadership that will unite us to overcome this pandemic, to put us back to work again, end systemic racism and work every day to ensure we leave this world to our kids in better shape than we found it.”

Following the June 24 ruling from the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that provided federal protection to access to abortion, Morris provided a statement to Rolling Stone, describing the careful planning she and husband Ryan Hurd did in welcoming their son Hayes in 2020.

“As mothers do, I really tried to think of every detail I could before he came into this world to keep him safe; pediatrician, hospital, crib, nursery sound machine, even future school he would someday go to,” she said. “Every choice, every decision, a thoughtful one.”

She added, “Today, I hold my 2-year-old son with tears streaming down my face because all my love and planning still wasn’t enough to protect him from being born into a country who could do this to women,” the singer added. “Tomorrow I will fight, but today I am grieving.”

Morris’ 2022 album, Humble Quest, is nominated for album of the year heading into this week’s CMA Awards, set to be held Nov. 9 at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena and airing on ABC.

Watch her new spot for the DNC above.